NICK COUSINS ON SOUTH FLORIDA: “IT’S A SNEAKY GOOD HOCKEY TOWN”
By: Stephen Lylyk, RP Show Intern
“I think (South Florida) is a sneaky good hockey town. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
Those were the words of the newest Florida Panther Nick Cousins during his Tuesday appearance on the Rod Pedersen Show on Game+ TV and WQEE Radio, live from The Beach House in Pompano Beach, FL.
The Panthers have experienced noteworthy success in recent years. The franchise has qualified for the postseason 3 years in a row (a first in their history). They have also achieved a 58-18-6 record last season, the best mark in franchise history.
The result of the on ice success has led to optimism amongst the fans and the Panther players have taken notice.
“When I go to the grocery store,” says Cousins, “and just drive around I see Panthers license plates and stuff.”
In a January 2022 interview, now former-Florida Panther Mackenzie Weegar stated that Panthers fans have, “been absolutely unbelievable. It’s so much fun playing behind them ever night.”
The statistics back up this optimism as well. According to statista.Com average attendance for the 2021/22 panthers was at 14,811, a noteworthy increase from the 2018-19 total of 13,261.
Sean Shapiro of the Athletic published an article in May 2022 diving deeper into how the franchise is benefitting from the newfound optimism.
“The Panthers have more than 8000 season ticket packages sold – a 33% increase from the 19-20 season. Ticket revenue was up 18% from the last non Covid impacted season. Sponsorship revenue increased by 71% in 2021. Merchandise sales have also tripled this season.”
Panthers TV Color Analyst Randy Moller explained the rise in overall support for the franchise on the Rod Pedersen show Tuesday.
“Fans realized that this ownership group is here for the long haul,” explained Moller. “They’ll build a team that the fans could be proud of, and they’ve done that.
Moller also gave his perspective on why he views South Florida as a Hockey Town.
“The style of play of play the Panthers exhibited last year is exciting,” offered Moller. “This is an event area down here. The fans want to be entertained by things that are sexy. After the season they had last year the Panthers are sexy and fun to watch. Every night is a party!”
Looking at this from a big picture perspective the question to ask would be, how would one define a ‘Hockey’ or ‘Sports’ town?
Back in 2014 CBS Boston writer DJ Gallo argued in an article, that the impact of team success plays a major role in the definition.
“The fact is,” argued Gallo, “the ‘greatness’ of a sports town has alot more to do with the success of the local teams than fans like to admit. We’ve all got some bandwagon in us. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
The Florida Panthers have built an exciting brand of hockey for their fans to watch. This has not only led to success both on and off the ice, but also the ability for Sunrise to be defined in the national media as a ‘Hockey Town’.
The Panthers open the 2022-23 NHL season on Thursday when they visit the New York Islanders. Their home opener is set for Wednesday, October 9 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV and WQEE 99.1 Metro Atlanta. Call your cable provider to subscribe. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
